Did Do No Harm Double Your Pleasure?

NBC’s new Jekyll-and-Hydedrama about a doctor suffering from disassociative identity disorder debuted Thursday at 10/9c. It centers on Dr. Jason Cole (Rescue Me‘s Steven Pasquale), who’s a brilliant neurosurgeon and all-around good guy from 8:25 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. During the other 12 hours, however, his bad boy alter ego Ian Price comes out to play.

Jason has kept his alter on a tight leash for the past five years, thanks to an experimental drug that renders him unconscious during Ian’s office hours. However, that set-up also makes Jason unable to forge relationships – such as with his flirty coworker Dr. Lena Solis (Law & Order‘s Alana de la Garza) — outside of work hours. But the drug’s effectiveness is wearing off, as evidenced by Jason waking up in a strange apartment, surrounded by naked women and with vague memories of brawling and doing cocaine.

While Jason’s lab tech buddy Ruben (Lin-Manuel Miranda) labors to create a stronger formula that won’t kill him, the good doc is at the mercy of his “prick” of a double – whose crimes include toying with Lena, obsessing over Jason’s ex-wife Olivia (and child, Cole) and polluting Jason’s lungs with cigarettes.

Amid all of this, Jason presides over two typical medical drama cases: a brain-surgery patient who loses the ability to recognize his family and a domestic abuse victim who refuses to leave the husband who beats her. (At least in the latter case, Jason uses Ian’s rage to get the pulverized husband to turn himself in.)

Near the end of the episode, after learning how Ian messed with Lena, Jason develops a new mission regarding his other personality: “I don’t want to control him anymore,” he tells Ruben. “I want to eliminate him.”

Pasquale does well as the diametrically opposed main characters; Ian’s glee in wrecking Jason’s life and career certainly is fun to watch. It’ll be interesting to see how the show fleshes out its supporting characters – including Jason’s boss Dr. Young (played by The Cosby Show‘s Phylicia Rashad) and his devoted assistant Josh (played by Freaks and Geeks‘Samm Levine) — who don’t have much to do in the pilot.

That’s what we think, but what’s your take? Grade Do No Harm via the poll below, then hit the comments to back up your choice!

Great new show! The cat-and-mouse game between Jason and Ian is delightful to watch, and I love to go on the little hint scavenger hunts shows like this require (Who did Jason hurt as a child? Why did Ian re-emerge on his/their birthday? Why did Jason leave his last job?). Pascuale is terrific in the lead role(s), and for now I’m confident the things that need to be fleshed out in more detail (the supporting characters, the medical cases) will be down the line with the burden of setting up the premise lifted.

I was going to watch this, and then I saw the commercials — probably the worst ive ever seen. The poll results aren’t super reassuring either. I’ll read the comments once more of them have been posted, and then I’ll decide whether or not I’ll be watching the pilot on NBC.com.

I’m with you. I DVR’ed the show because it’s been getting good reviews but the commercials look terrible. The critics have gotten too many shows wrong for me to waste time on what they consider great shows. I’d prefer hearing what the average viewer thinks before actually watching.

The fact that “A” is currently in 4th place is not at all reassuring. People in these polls usually have “A” and “B” in the top two positions. With “C” as Number 1, then I’m sure I’d rate it a “D” at best. Thankfully I was already taping four other things! (Thursdays, you suck too!)

It’s actually better than the promos made it out to be. I love Steven Pasquale and I hope the show finds a groove so he has a chance to shine. Having Alana de la Garza on the show is a bonus since she was a favorite of mine on L&O.

I watched it and actually liked it. It wasn’t “the greatest show ever” and the whole famous surgon part is far fetched but it held my interest and I’ll watch the next episode. But I won’t be suprised if NBC cancels it…tommorow. (You know how they like to cancel shows) Plus it’s better than the other crap that is on Thursday nights. *cough* The Vampire Diaries and the 48th Season of American Idol *cough*

Oh look, another Hollywood remake.
I’m not saying Do No Harm isn’t good, it’s just that it’s unfortunately extremely similar to Jekyll, a very good British television series penned by the legendary Steven Moffat.
Jekyll keeps Hyde on a leash, Hyde starts getting more control, Jekyll wakes up in the morning next to his alter-who’s um conquests, and Hyde starts killing Jekyll’s lungs.
Hopefully the American writers will pull something new out of the hat instead of resorting to copying our good friends from across the pond as it so often occurs. (Sherlock. Cough. Elementary. Cough.)

Just absurd. The split personality thing is bad enough but we are expected to believe he is a doctor. News flash, becoming a doctor requires lots of studying. If he is “asleep” every night when the heck would he get any learning done? Also, he would have to work nightshift at some point. You don’t just graduate college and instantly become a surgen who can set your own schedule.

He was only putting himself to sleep at night for the last 5 years & we don’t know Ian’s full backstory yet. He may not have been an issue when Jason was in med school. They are not going to explain everything in the 1st episode.

Not to mention he’s got other people helping him with Ian and they take him at his word. His friend in the drug dept obviously and I was like “How are you not only aware he’s got this problem but easily believe it?”

Same question with his counselor (who should have been allowed to stay on Body of Proof).

I can’t believe how many comments I read before getting one that points out how ABSURD the premise is. No way he could get to be chief heurologist with this situation. All the interactions with the other doctors rang so implausible as to be distracting. That said, it was relatively well done and well acted.

From the opening scene you could tell it was going to be crap. They walked into the OR and I wondered, when is he going to scrub in? Then I wondered how he made it through med school when he has to hide at night. But I was willing to suspend disbelief but it just kept getting worst. 15 mins in and I deleted it off the Dvr. Def no competition for the brilliant Scandal or the delightful Suits.

This show is extremely flawed, but it definitely has a lot of promise. I will be watching the next 3-4 episodes (if NBC lets them air!) to give the writers/director a chance to even things out. This show COULD be extremely good if they make Ian more three dimensional, and answer a lot of unanswered questions that make the show seem less than plausible if these questions don’t have good answers. I, for one, hope that it doesn’t get pulled until it has a chance to develop enough to show us where it is headed.

I like Mr. Pasquale (even better when he sings, actually) but much like Ringer took the plot of Bette Davis’ Dead Ringer without ever bothering to acknowledge it, doesn’t this steal directly from the premise of BBC’s Jekyll?